GE Haliade-X 12 MW Turbine Obtains Full Type Certificate

GE Renewable Energy’s Haliade-X 12 MW prototype has received a full type certificate from DNV GL.

This full type certification, which follows a provisional type certification announced in June, provides independent verification that the new turbines will operate safely, reliably, and according to design specifications, the turbine maker said.

The process of certifying the Haliade-X involved a series of tests on a 12 MW prototype located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and tests of the turbine’s 107-metre blades at the UK’s Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult in Blyth and the Massachusetts Wind Technology Testing Center in Boston, USA.

“This is a key milestone for us as it gives our customers the ability to obtain financing when purchasing the Haliade-X,” Vincent Schellings, Chief Technology Officer for Offshore Wind at GE Renewable Energy, said.

”Our continued goal is to provide them the technology they need to drive the global growth of offshore wind as it becomes an ever more affordable and reliable source of renewable energy.”

GE Renewable Energy has recently optimized the prototype turbine which is now operating at a 13 MW power output. Testing will continue and the company expects to obtain a type certificate for the Haliade-X at 13 MW in the first half of 2021.

“At DNV GL we predict that offshore wind will generate almost 9% of electricity globally by 2050. One of the driving factors are bigger and better wind turbines with lower LCOE like GE’s Haliade-X,” said Kim Sandgaard-Mørk, Executive Vice President for Renewables Certification at DNV GL.

“And we are very happy to see that those turbines are designed to meet highest safety and performance standards.”

The Haliade-X 13 MW offshore wind turbine will be used in the first two phases of UK’s Dogger Bank Wind Farm, with a total of 190 units to be installed starting in 2023.

The Haliade-X technology has also been selected as the preferred wind turbine for the 120 MW Skipjack and 1,100 MW Ocean Wind projects in the US.

The Haliade-X prototype located in Rotterdam, operating at 13 MW, set a new world record in October 2020 by generating 312 MWh of continuous power in one day.